Electronic devices are typically configured to be personal devices by their users, such as their primary users, which are often their owners. For example, the primary user of an electronic device will typically store personal contact information and device or application setting preferences on the device.
For the sake of convenience, the primary user of an electronic device will also typically relax the security measures required for them to access and use the personal information and preferences stored on the device. For example, the primary user will often configure a device or application executing on the device to “remember” usernames and passwords, such that a user does not need to manually enter a username and password each time he uses an application or capability of the device. Similarly, the primary user will often configure a device to relax the security measures required to access and use remote services, for example, by configuring the device to automatically supply security information (e.g., a username and password, a token, a cookie, etc.) to a remote application that is accessed via the personal electronic device, such as an application running on a web server.
Despite all the personal and private information accessible via an electronic device, they are nonetheless sometimes used by persons other than their primary users. This is especially prevalent for portable or mobile electronic devices, such as smart phones, music playing devices, hand-held gaming devices, and the like. For example, the primary user of an electronic device may lend or share the device with a friend or family member so that the friend or family member may enjoy music or video on the device, employ the device for navigation, play electronic games on the device, browse the Internet, make a phone call, etc. In addition, the primary user of an electronic device such as a cell phone may lend the device to a stranger in an exigent situation to make a phone call. Or, an unauthorized person may attempt to use the device when it is not near its authorized users.